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DMACC offering income tax help

By Staff Reports

Boone News-Republican

Free income tax help will begin on Friday, February 14 and continue through April 11 each Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) Boone Campus. DMACC has been offering this service since 2008 and this will be the seventh year of offering the free income tax help. DMACC accounting students who have been certified by the Internal Revenue Service will help prepare federal and Iowa individual income tax returns for qualified residents. Each year accounting students process and file approximately 150 federal and state income tax returns.

This service, called the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, offers free tax assistance to those with low-to-moderate incomes (less than $52,000 in annual personal income). VITA is particularly interested in identifying those taxpayers who are eligible for earned income tax credits (EITC), which is a refundable tax credit to those who are low wage earners.

All tax returns will be prepared on-site at the DMACC Boone Campus by trained and certified DMACC student volunteers using software provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Each return will be reviewed by the site coordinator and, after approval and signature of the taxpayer, will be filed electronically with the IRS and the Iowa Department of Revenue. There is no cost to eligible taxpayers for this service.

Persons interested in receiving this service should bring their W-2 forms, interest statements from banks (1099 forms), copies of last year’s (2012) federal and Iowa tax returns, along with social security cards for all family members. Any other pertinent information regarding personal income and expenses for tax year 2013 should be included.

Individuals may call 515-433-5029 to schedule an appointment. Parking is available on the north side of the building, and people may enter through the northeast doorway, door number 8.